stay tuned. way too early ostarts right now. i'm bill karins and it's finally friday. this is the show that takes no responsibility but blames everyone, including the weatherman, for the subzero temperatures. wait a minute. who wrote that? we have a lot to get to this morning, including the senate confirmation hearing for john kerry to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. we'll show you the emotional testimony and endorsement from hillary clinton straight ahead. and speaking of endorsements,

new jersey governor gis chrisch christie gets the support of the most powerful democrat in history. but the white house is taking its message on the road this morning. vice president joe biden and other members of the task force on reducing gun violence will take part in a round table discussion in richmond. it comes a day after democratic senator dianne feinstein of california introduced new legislation that goes even further than the assault weapons ban that expired a decade ago. >> weapons designed originally for the military to kill large numbers of people in close combat are replicated for civilian use. columbine, virginia tech, aurora, tucson, oak creek. the common thread in these shootings is each gunman used a semiautomatic assault weapon or large capacity ammunition magazine.

we should be outraged by how easy it is for perpetrators of these horrific crimes to obtain powerful military style weapons. >> the proposal bans more than 150 specific firearms, including semiautomatic weapons and magazines holding more than ten rounds. despite the aggressive approach, some democrats argue that an assault weapons ban could be a heavy lift for congress. yesterday vice president joe biden said he's more than concerned about high capacity magazines. >> i'm much less concerned quite frankly about an assault weapon than i am about magazines and the number of rounds that can be held in a magazine. but the point is that the fact that violent crime is down and there's been a proliferation of assault weapons quote/unquote as was defined up to now on on the street does not suggest that

taking as suggesault weapons wot in fact make it safer particularly for the cops. a shot gun will keep you a lot safer. a double barrel shot gun than the as saelt weapons in somebody's hands who doesn't know how to use it. you know. it's harder to use an assault weapon to hit something than as a shot gun. so you want to keep people away, buy shotgun shells. joe manchin of west virginia said he's working to develop a separate proposal that would expand background checks on gun sales. a new era is now under way in the u.s. military. the pentagon yesterday announced it has lifted a 20 year ban that prevented women from serving in combat roles. the move was approved by leon panetta who says it would strengthen the military and the country. >> when i fly into bethesda to visit wounded warriors, and when i've gone to arlington to bury our dead, there is no

distinction that's made between the sacrifices of men and women in uniform. they served, they're wounded and they die right next to aech each each. >> senator john mccain supported the decision. >> the right thing to do. i support it. i just want us all to make sure that standards, particularly the physical standards are met, so that the combat gee efficiency are not degraded. but it's time to do that. the woman have proven their contributions. >> 152 women have died serving this nation in iraq and afghanistan.

a day after being grilled, hk returned to hill this time to introduce the man nominated to replace her, senator john kerry. >> he is a determined and effective representative of the united states. has been as a senator. will be as secretary. >> if you confirm me, i would take office as secretary proud that the senate the is in my blood. but equally proud that so, too, is the foreign service. my father's work under presidents both democrat and republican took me and my siblings around the world for personal journey that brought home the sacrifices and the commitment the men and women of the foreign service make every day on behalf of america. >> there was plenty of praise for carrey who pledged to keep pressure on iran. the long time senator also addressed the civil war in syria

and declared global climate change a global issue, but he was also pressed about the attack in benghazi. >> secretary clinton's reaction was, and i quote, what difference at this point does it make. trying to get to the truth of the matter in benghazi. i think it matters a great deal that the american people get the truth. my question is, do you agree with that point or and are you willing to work with me or do you basically agree with hillary clinton that that's yesterday's news and let's move on? >> well, senator, if you're trying to get some daylight between me and secretary clinton, that's not going to happen here today on that score. >> senator kerry first testified before the senate relations committee 42 years ago as a member of vietnam veterans against the war. reflected on that era yesterday just moments after a protester interrupted his hearing. >> i'm tired of my friends in the middle east dying. i don't know if they're going to be alive the next day.

>> when i first came to washington and testified, i obviously was testifying as part of a group of people who came here to have their voices heard. and that is above all what this place is about. >> the senate will hold a confirmation vote for kerry on tuesday. here to help us down the con fair nati firmation, bill allen. >> happy friday. >> it is. for kerry, all but a lock it appears. is there anyone openly against kerry's confirmation. >> >> yeah, way too easy, way too early. there's not. this hearing was remarkable for how pleasant it was. someone who has been in the is that the 27 years, so he definitely got senatorial courtesy. interestingly enough, the table that senator kerry was testifying for a few more days was the exact table he testified in those anti-war remarks that

he referred to. me a passing reference to his comments on climate change and that was the most fascinating part of this hearing. he didn't say much about it in his prepared remark, but when a senate republican pushed him on climate change, arguing it would hurt jobs, he ripped back and, bill, he made it clear that climate change will be a huge part of his agenda, that in fact he might be the administration's leading voice on climate change. senator kerry's voice on this shows some of the mugs sell that president obama will put behind those words in the immigration speech while your viewers will remember that the last real climate change legislation in the senate was kerry, lieberman. and so he said that a jobs policy is an energy policy and as an example of what he'd do, he said he would press china to cut back on their emissions, which right now gives them an advantage over fuss manufacturing. >> let's go now to chuck hagel, nominee for secretary of defense.

he'll appear before the senate armed services committee next thursday. hagel erode looks like it's full of potholes ahead. >> it is, but it's all theater. with senator schumer of new york coming up for him will, enough senators have come out for him and clear he will get confirmed. so this is a fight the president picked with congress and won. that gives him more political capital, a great place for the president to be. but this hearing is going to have a lot more fireworks. republicans, democrats, everybody will pile on to senator hagel. but don't be fooled by the rhetoric. he'll pass. and one are more cabinet note. today is secretary geithner's last gay at the treasury. he has a long history with the building. he came in not just as treasury secretary, but he also worked there as a civil servant. >> let's get to what happened yesterday. senator feinstein's gun reform proposal. she knows it will never get through the house. what was she trying to accomplish? >> she is trying to build

support for this issue. she's talking at a time when opinion polls make it clear that the public is for it. and a big voice, bill that we'll hear on this in coming days is gaby by giffords, she'll be lobbying for this bill. she and her husband, mark kelly, the astronaut. and obviously they'll get coverage wherever they go. so we don't think gun legislation will pass, but we can see this debate will continue. it will be loud and support will build. >> and let's get to the republican party's future yesterday. last night at the republican national committee meeting, louisiana governor bobby jindal had this advice for his party. >> we have to stop being stupid party. and i'm serious.

it's time for a new republican party that talks like adults. it's time for us to articulate our plans and visions for america in real terms. no secret we lad a number of republicans that damaged the brand with offensive and bizarre comments. i'm here to say we've had enough of that. >> so jindal is potential 12016 contender, does he have enough influence in his party to make any of these a reality? >> he's definitely going to push for them. this is a time when republicans are looking for a leader. he's chairman of the republican governors association. he got a lot of pick up for the stupid line. one other thing he said last night was that the gop was a populist party. he called for huge cut backe in the government saying there needed to be half as many federal employees. in the government saying there needed to be half as many federal employees. he said a lot of the bureaucracy can be done through the website. he said this is newsteroids.

>> happy friday, buddy. chris christie has a new facebook friend. ceo mark zuckerberg of all people is hosting a fund-raiser at his california home for the new jersey governor next month. a statement posted on facebook says mark and his wife admire christie's leadership on education reform and other issues. the democratic governor's association isn't too happy about it and is calling on zuckerberg to cancel the event. christie is seeking re-election in november and is currently enjoying a 74% approval rating. back in september of 2010, zuckerberg donated $100 million if you remember to the newark school system. as always, let us know why you're awake. shoot us an e-mail or tweet me. we'll read the best responses later in the show. still ahead, more from the manti/couric interview including voice mails that he thought were from his girlfriend.

we'll play the audio. you decide. plus the feud between matt damon and jimmy kimmel reached its peak after damon kidnaps the late night host. he high cracked his entire show. that story and a check on weather when "way too early" comes right back. [ woman ] ring. ring. progresso.

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♪ j dreams of landens meet sea, deliciously ♪ ♪ friskies surfin' and turfin' favorites. ♪ ♪ feed the senses. washington, d.c. will get a coating of snow this evening.

light fluffy stuff, though. as we head into the weekend, it's still cold especially up in the great lakes. the only dangerous weather is in northern new england where the windchills are in the neglect if i have 10 to minus 25 range. the big story is this storm heading across the country. it's a weak one, but it's large. millions of people will see snow today, but it won't have that much of an impact on you or the roads. the snow is beginning around chicago, so chicago rush shower possibly slippery spots. and then it would head further to the south. if you're down there in northern alabama, northern georgia, you may get enough ice today that when you go home from school or work, you could get a coating on the car, the sidewalk, roads untreated. so that's the only real big concern. again, a dusting to two inches from new york city down to richmond and all the way through the hole say will that. so again dealing with the light snow and cold. as we go through the weekend, it looks pretty quiet and if anything, it will slowly warm up

as we go through saturday and sunday. now let's switch to sports. something i actually know. just kidding. are we finally got answers from the manti te'o about the fake girlfriend hoax. in yesterday's taped interview with katie couric, who he actually shares an agent with, te'o addressed some of the inconsistencies surrounding his version of the story. >> you told him you met as a usc game, that you were just friends then. can you see why people would view this as at worst as a complete lie and at best as incredibly misleading? >> i can see that. and for that, you know, for people feeling that they're misled, that i'm sorry for. but i wasn't as forthcoming about it, but i didn't lie. i never was asked did you see her in person. and so through the embarrassment and the fear of what people may

think, that i was committed to this person who i didn't have the chance to meet and she all of a sudden died, that scared me. >> te'o also said to dispel one of the theories regarding his sexuality. >> one of the theories, many theories, making the rounds is somehow you created this whole scenario to cover up your sex l orientation. are you gay? >> no. far from it. far from that. >> so yesterday in the new york daily news reported that the voice te'o heard on the phone for months was actually a man. no confirmation from te'o. but we have a voice mail from his girlfriend. you be the judge. >> i just want to let you know i got here and i'm getting ready for my first session and just wanted to call you to keep you posted. i miss you. i love you. bye. >> i think most of us are buying

it. close call. te'o will face more tough questions when he speaks with steams at the nfl combine february 20th. kevin garnett, carmelo anthony reuniting since their dust up a couple weeks ago. anthony, no problem at all. strong to the hoop. he scored 28 on the night. fourth quarter, celtics down by two. j.r. smith knocks down the three. knicks win 89-86. the knicks are now second in the east. celtics now two games bel below .500. more from the nba. a story very important to us here at "way too early." the new orleans hornets will change their name to the new orleans pelicans next season. the reaction on twitter has been a mix of outrage and confusion. former new orleans hornet, chris paul, tweeted pelicans? i'm not rolling. we of course pitched our low go to the hornets front office.

the question now, did they listen. so we bring you the pelicans. once you figure out what you're looking at, you realize this is a really angry pelican. has a little nasty side. you stole its fish. have you seen pelicans with red eyes before? i actually kind of like it now. a little nasty. coming up at the top of the hour on "morning joe," vice president joe biden urges voters to call a congress to back new reforms aimed at reining in gun violence. the politics behind it. and when we come back here, we'll huddle around the water cooler where mayor cory booker does it again. this time he's locking up the pet owner vote. is this guy for real? the newark mayor rescued a freezing dog. and of course twitter is involved. excuse me, sir i'm gonna have to ask you to power down your little word game. i think your friends will understand.

oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly. ok, did she seriously just say that? geico. just click away with our free mobile app. [ male announcer ] how do you turn an entrepreneur's dream... ♪ into a scooter that talks to the cloud? ♪ or turn 30-million artifacts... ♪ into a high-tech masterpiece? ♪ whatever your business challenge, dell has the technology and services to help you solve it.

let's gather around the water cooler with lewis. and lewis, i'm going to let you do this all on your own. even i have alerted hr that i will not be responsible for anything that happens during this foot long session. >> well, bill, don't worry. i won't make you eat this. but i will say yesterday we talked about subway and how they're facing a lawsuit because their foot longs are not exactly 12 inches long. claiming they're 11 inches and

it really krup set upset me. so since we believe in accuracy in reporting here, i have a 25-foot tape measure here, but we only need 12 inches. and look at that, it comes up about an inch short. about three quarters of an inch short. look at that. so there you go. now, come on, bill, get off of this. there's nothing like a beautiful subway sandwich at 5:30 in the morning. here we go. >> that's wonderful. wonderful television right there. >> i'm in heaven. bill, bite? >> no. i want nothing to do with your foot long. next. >> all right. let's move on here. so there's this rivalry between it's actually a joke between jimmy kimmel and matt damon. >> you actually thought eating and reading was going to work. >> i didn't think it through. let me wash it down with some starbucks here. perfect. okay. so many times kimmel has retended to have damon on as a guest and only run out of time by the end of the show.

take a look. >> sincere apologies to matt damon. we ran out of time for him. apologies to matt damon. we ran out of time. apologies. we ran out of time. unfortunately, we are totally out of time. [ bleep ]. >> funny. >> look at that. tame on actual damon actually looked angry. yet he taped him to a chair and made him watch from the side of the stage. he brought on a pack of a-list celebrities and made a replacement to kimmel's regul regulars. he replaced his sidekick with andy garcia. watch damon explain his revenge. >> jimmy has bumped me from his show 1205 times. for ten years, every night i wait in that green room and every 9/11 kimmel says apologies to matt damon, we ran out on of time. if you bump a man long enough, a

night will come when he bumps you back. and tonight is that night, my friends. i am in command of this ship. tonight, tonight good triumphs over evil. i am luke sky walker. and kimmel is the death star. big and round and easily destroyed through his garbage hole. look at him over there. look at jimmy over will with the gag in his mouth. you've never been funnier, my friend. >> oh, boy. >> what is kimmel thinking? you can't mess with jason bourne. >> now if damon could only have gagged your subway segment. well done, lewis. still ahead, why are you awake? your tweets and texts and e-mails are next. morning joe oig moments away.

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